1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to musical globes, in general, and, more particularly, to a musical water globe having an internal fiber optic display and a novel method of installing and sealing same.
2. Description of Related Art
Water globes have been known for many years. They frequently comprise winter scenes in which the globe is inverted and then turned upright so that artificial snow falls inside on a Santa Claus or religious nativity tabloid, or the like.
A review of the prior art indicates that there are a number of variations on water globes. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,039,453 describes a lighted water globe which employs fiber optic strands mounted directly on the surface of a rubber plug. A music box movement is employed to play a tune and rotate the water globe, relative to its base, and a lighting effects wheel which controls the output beam of a light source directed at the input end of the fiber optic strands.
Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 4,771,902 describes a sealed, water-filled container including a light source, which projects through the globe""s sealing structure.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,735,113 describes a structure which incorporates a light source, a battery, and a fiber optic array all fitted into a wine glass body.
In addition, U.S. Patents 6,030,273 and 6,132,284 describe water globes which incorporate music sources and also employ waterproof seals in their bases.
Lastly, U.S. Pat. No. 5,732,492 describes another typical water globe including a special seal arrangement.
While the use of fiber optic displays and audio devices is known, to a limited extent in the water globe art, nevertheless, such devices are moderately difficult to make because the sealing structure has to keep the apparatus from leaking while, at the same time, permitting the fiber optic portion to be effectively supportive, gathered and illuminated by its light source. Because the water globe is typically a consumer item, it is also important to keep the production and assembly costs low. At the same time, the device has to produce a pleasant effect. In so far as understood, there are no water globes presently on the market that satisfactorily meet all of the foregoing criteria. It was the context of the foregoing prior art that the present invention arose.
Briefly described, the invention comprises a water globe which incorporates an attractive, programmable, multi-color LCD display and which can be operated in synchronism with an audio source of music or other pleasant sounds. The light source preferably comprises a three color LED that is illuminatable in red, green and blue as directed by a solid state controller unit. A speaker is also connected to the controller unit and permits the light show produced by the LED to be synchronized with verbal or musical sounds. The open end of the glove is sealed by a resilient gasket having a sidewall with a rib that impinges on the bottom aperture of the glove. A cover which includes a well for receiving the fiber optic bundles sits in a recess in the resilient seal. The bottom of the well is clear and the LED is held in place underneath the well in such a fashion as to effectively illuminate the bottom ends of the fiber optic fibers. The top ends of the fiber optic fibers pass through an inner top and emerge at the surface at the inner top. The inner top can be contoured into the form of a mountain, cottage, or the like. The well in the cover gathers and supports the illuminated bottom end of the optical fibers and places them in a very close proximity to the LED while the top side of the cover supports the inner top which in turn supports the ends of the fiber optic fibers that the consumer views. A switch on the bottom of the apparatus permits the user to turn on the controller which in turn causes the LED to run through a program which produces lights of various different colors on the surface of the inner top. The controller, at the same time, may control a speaker so that the device might provide an illumination display that is synchronized with holiday music such as xe2x80x9cSilent Nightxe2x80x9d, xe2x80x9cWe Wish You A Merry Christmasxe2x80x9d, etc. When the power switch is set to one side, changeable colored lights appear on the inner structure, but when the power switch is set to the other side, the multi-colored changeable lights are accompanied by music. The center position of the switch is the xe2x80x9cOn/Offxe2x80x9d position.
The invention may be more fully understood by reference to the following drawings.